Boys Over Girls
by Eilisch
Summary: A new student at Eitoku University alters the world of the F4 once again. Who is this strange American, and why does he have that affect? Some language.
1. The First Day

Hi everybody! This is chapter one of my new story, Boys over Girls. I've tried to stay as close to the original characters as possible, so forgive me if I don't quite manage it. This story is set after the manga series ends with the short story about Shizuka's wedding, so don't worry about me messing with the original storyline at all. I've used a lot of Japanese terms to try to add authenticity; the Japanese words are in italics. Also, I've kept the Japanese form for names, so it reads Last First instead of First Last. Lastly, I maintained the use of honorifics, because of the cultural differences between west and east.

For those of you who need it, a short Japanese dictionary:

Kaasan—mother

Tousan—father

Arigatou—thank you

Konnichiwa—hello

Hai—yes

Iie—no

Dame—no way!

Bishounen or "bishie"—beautiful boy; normally used to describe guys who are as pretty as girls

Itadakimasu—common saying uttered before a meal

Baka—idiot or moron

Honorifics:

-sama—term of respect for someone of high station, or above you, like a boss

-sensei—refers to a teacher

-sempai—upperclassman

-kohai—underclassman

-san—term of respect for a peer

-kun—familiar term for a boy

-chan—familiar term for small children or girls

A few other terms of note:

Foi grois—expensive delicacy made from the liver of an overfed goose

Cajun—refers to a subculture of Louisiana

Royal Irish Academy—scientific organization of high repute in Ireland

Dublin—capital of Ireland

Bouillabaisse—French shellfish stew

MIT—Massachusetts Institute of Technology

If there's anything else you need clarified, specify it in your review (please review guys!) and I'll address it in the next chapter. Any new terms that come up will also be addressed at the start of each chapter. Thanks, and enjoy!

The First Day

**Nishikado-**_**sama**_**, please come to the front office. Nishikado-**_**sama**_** to the front office,** the voice crackled over the school intercom. Nishikado Sojiro looked up from the magazine he was not attempting to hide in his calculus class. His watch read 10:15 am, and that was too early to study; besides, it wasn't like the _sensei_ could force him to. School was almost more of a formality than anything else, though he would have to pass the exams in order to get the grades. It wouldn't do to have the 16th head of the Nishikado family flunk out of college.

**Nishikado-**_**sama**_** to the front office**, the voice came again. Sojiro closed the magazine and stretched before getting to his feet. Hanazawa Rui and Mimasaka Akira stopped playing poker as he walked by.

"Sojiro, what is it?" asked Rui, "why do you need to go to the office?"

Sojiro shrugged. "Must be to escort a new student around. Has to be someone important, for them to ask one of the F3 to do it."

"_Hai_. Hey, Akira, deal the cards will you?"

The two returned to their game as he left the room. Outside the window, a brilliant September sky shone out over the Eitoku campus. A few loose leaves blew lazily in the wind, and the rustle of the others could be heard even through the plate-glass. It wasn't much of a walk to the office from where he was, but a welcome reprieve nonetheless. Takahata-_sensei_'s monotonous voice could become quite aggravating after awhile, even if one wasn't paying attention to it.

"Ah, Nishikado-_sama_! Sorry to disturb you, but we have an important transfer student from America today, and President Ohtori-_sama_ thought it would be best to ask you to escort O'Brien-_san_ around the campus. We've already sent notices to all of your _senseis _informing them of your absence for the rest of the day," the pretty secretary said as he stepped through the sliding door of the office. She was a new one, at once both nervous and excited, so that the words came rushing out before he had a chance to respond to them.

"Don't worry, ah, Megumi-_san_," he added, thanking whatever person had thought to grace desks with nameplates. Best to turn on the charm now, he thought; after all, he didn't have plans for Friday night yet. "It is but a small service I can perform, and if it in any way makes your tedious job better, I will gladly do it," he smiled at her, watching her blush and stumble over her words, pleased and embarrassed by his attentions.

"Ah, well, yes…that is, O'Brien-_san_ is in the next room, having a photo taken for student identification," she said hurriedly, burying her hands in a mountain of paperwork and attempting to look very busy. Sojiro smiled; he liked to see a woman so flustered by his presence. It made the hunt so much more enjoyable.

"_Konnichiwa_; you are Nishikado-_san_?" a voice said from behind him.

From the voice alone Sojiro couldn't tell the newcomer's sex; male, he decided, after he turned around. The person before him was easily 177 cm, with messy, short black hair and startling green eyes and pale skin. He was wearing an old band shirt over a black long-sleeve tee shirt, his thumbs shoved through some holes at the wrist. A wallet chain extended around his left hip, his somewhat oversized jeans held up by a studded black leather belt. Black heavy shoes in a style that Sojiro had never seen before protruded from the tattered bottoms of his pant legs. Ear-buds hung casually around his neck, connected to an iPod sticking out of a front pocket. An oversized black newsboy cap and black leather wristbands completed the look. What were they thinking to let this guy into Eitoku? Sojiro wondered. Well, couldn't hurt to be polite.

"_Konnichiwa_. I am Nishikado Sojiro; and you?"

The newcomer extended his hand and smiled. "Danny O'Brien. Er, that is, O'Brien Danny. You can call me Danny though."

Sojiro took the proffered hand and shook it, before stepping back. "Danny-_kun_ then. Welcome to Eitoku."

"_Arigatou_, Soji-_kun_. Is it all right if I call you Soji-_kun_? I like to give my friends nicknames, and I'm hoping that we can be friends."

"Uh, sure, I guess so," he stammered. He was stunned that a complete stranger would treat him, a Nishikado, so familiarly and was unsure of how to act. Oh well, at least he had kept an honorific. "So, Danny-_kun_, would you like to see the campus now, or would you prefer to settle into your apartment first?"

"Oh, just Danny's fine. My name sounds so clunky when you add the _kun_ to it. Definitely campus first, I'm starving. I'm sure you guys have a cafeteria."

Sojiro couldn't help but laugh. This certainly was an interesting person the office had dropped into his lap. It was even more interesting than getting to know Megumi-_san_, who had hurriedly returned to her filing.

Outside, the American quickly retrieved a bag and a skateboard from a nearby bench. "Ah, didn't think it would be polite to carry this inside the office," he said, at a look from Sojiro. "I don't really go anywhere without it; it's the best board I've ever had. So, Soji-_kun_," he added, shouldering the light mesh backpack," why don't you tell me about yourself while we hunt down the elusive beast known as food?"

Sojiro gestured for Danny to follow him before turning and walking down the breezeway. "Not much to say, really. I am to be the sixteenth head of the Nishikado family; we're masters of the tea ceremony and quite wealthy. I'm in my second year here at Eitoku University. Right now, I can thank you for getting me out of an extremely monotonous calculus class."

"Ah, calculus you say? What a coincidence, I'm supposed to be taking Advanced Calculus with a Takahata-_sensei_ about this time. Is that the class?"

"_Hai_, it is. In the same class are two of my close friends, Hanazawa Rui and Mimasaka Akira, so I'm sure you'll get to know them as well. Both of them are the heirs to their father's corporate empires."

"Hm, I think I heard Ohtori-_sama_ mention something like that. Called you guys the Flower Four, or something like that."

"_Hai_, we've been friends since we were kids, though we're just the F3 now. Domyoji Tsukasa is studying in New York to take over the Domyoji Corporation. However, you can meet his girlfriend, Makino Tsukushi; she's in her first year here at Eitoku."

"Interesting, same as me. I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about, then, if we happen to have any classes together. It's hard to say, since transferring credits doesn't go as smoothly between nations as it does between states."

"It's your freshman year then? And you're taking Advanced Calc?" Sojiro asked, impressed that a first year student would be taking such a tough course.

"_Hai_. I already had Calc at MIT, but like I said, things never seem to go as smoothly as you want them to."

"Sojiro! Hey, who's the guy?" Akira called from across the square. "Don't tell me you get to miss class all day today! I get the next one, _baka_!"

"You wish! Hey, tell Rui and Tsukushi to meet us in the cafeteria about 11:00, we'll all eat together. Except you, you can go beg."

Akira laughed. "_Hai_! Just remember that the fan club will be gathering, and won't take kindly to a new face."

"They will to this one," Sojiro chuckled. "A real _bishounen_, he is."

Akira waved as he disappeared back inside, the guy next to him cracking a grin as well.

"Your friends you were talking about?" asked Danny, gazing curiously in their direction.

"_Hai_, Akira and Rui. Rui was the guy with the deadpan face who barely smiled. Grimmer than the reaper himself, that one is. Anyway, they've got a study period, so they'll check in and then meet us in the cafeteria. Nobody cares where we go anyway, since our parents are the major monetary contributors to Eitoku, but it's best to keep up with the formalities for appearance's sake. They'll be able to get Tsukushi out as well without it raising a fuss."

"Isn't Tsukushi-_san_ able to get out of it herself? I thought everybody who went to Eitoku was very rich."

"Not everybody. In high school, Tsukushi had to work two-jobs and lived in the most dinghy apartments in order to attend Eitoku. She wasn't even considering university, but Tsukasa offered to pay her tuition. Now she's working doubly hard to pay her own way. She's the real exception; she's the only one who had the guts to stand up to us in high school and stick it out. We were real brats back then."

"As opposed to now? You guys use your position to weasel out of class," he laughed, elbowing Sojiro in the ribs. "The more I hear of this girl, the more I like her, Soji-_kun_."

"I can see why you'd say that," Sojiro said, rubbing his side, "but I'd stay away from her. Tsukasa does not like other people messing with her."

"I'll keep that in mind; I certainly have no burning desire to end up in traction, at any rate. While I was in the office I heard a story about Domyoji's temper; it's amazing how tongues will wag when people think you can't understand them. That's not what I meant anyway; I just feel like I can relate to her. Ah, is this the cafeteria?"

This American changes direction faster than a weather vane in a hurricane, Sojiro thought to himself as he pushed the door open and indicated that Danny follow him. "_Hai_. It also functions as a kind of lounge area, where we can just hang out."

"Sweet. Hang on; you have an arcade and entertainment center in the cafeteria? With an eighty-inch screen too! What's next, caviar and foi grois?" Sojiro smirked and nodded, watching as the American's jaw dropped even further. "Seriously, you guys are way too spoiled. At MIT, we had a bunch of coupons that we could redeem for fast food, and that was it. This is like, living with Paris Hilton or something."

Danny ran around the cafeteria, peering at everything from the china to the menu for the day. Suddenly, something clicked, causing Sojiro to do a double take. It couldn't be that…after all, why would they call him out of class to escort a new student unless he did live like that American heiress and bimbo? Maybe he just wasn't used to having a school treat him this way, but still… "Hey Danny, what did you mean that you could relate to Tsukushi?"

He turned around from where he'd been drooling over a large menu containing French selections. "Ooh, bouillabaisse…huh? Oh, you mean what I said earlier. Well, I don't live the lifestyle of the rich and famous either, so I know what it must be like for her to be surrounded by guys like you all the time. I mean, I'm pretty much here on scholarship, same as I was at MIT."

"Scholarship? I didn't hear anything about Eitoku offering a scholarship to any foreign students," Sojiro commented as he perused the French menu himself. Perhaps he'd stick with the Japanese menu for the day.

"Well, that's cause they didn't, really. My future company is paying my way. They want to hire me as chief of one of their research divisions, but they can't hire a person so inexperienced in the field right away; besides, I still need to get two degrees in order to qualify for the position. They have projects here in Japan that I'm supposed to intern at while I study here at Eitoku. I don't get paid for the internship, but they pay my room and board and tuition. Any other expenses I have to handle myself, but since _Kaasan_'s restaurant is doing so well, she said she'd send me any cash I needed."

He said it so casually, but the realization of whom he was talking to made a huge impression on Sojiro. Obviously, the company that wanted to hire him must have major influence with Eitoku for them to ask one of the F3 to escort someone without lineage around the school. He'd assumed that Danny had been American royalty, something like the Hiltons, a family with immense wealth and connections because of its global corporate chain. However, the realization that he was here solely on his own merit was something to consider. Well, best to find out more about this person; if he ascended to the head of a major company, it would be good to have connections already in place. "I think I can safely say that you're a first here; after all, your company must be very powerful and desire you very much as an employee. You say you went to MIT? Did you graduate from there?"

Danny sat down on one of the sofas, his board over his lap, and pulled the newsboy cap off his head. Running his fingers through his hair, he shrugged. "Yeah, last spring. Why, is that a big deal?"

Sojiro snorted. "Only one of the best engineering schools in the world."

"Oh, well, I guess you're right. I got my BS in Mechanical Engineering there last year, but for the position I want I need at least a BS in Math and in Physics."

"How old are you? I mean you don't look any older than me. In fact, you look younger," he added.

"Heh, well, if you're a typical college student, we're the same age. I turn twenty next month, so I would normally be a second year college student. I skipped a few grades, and graduated high school at sixteen. Then I went to MIT, and I completed my degree in three years. You know the rest," Danny sighed, leaning back and pulling the cap over his eyes. "I'm going to try to catch forty winks, wake me when your buddies get here," he added, falling asleep almost instantaneously.

This American certainly was interesting, Sojiro thought. Right now, he was sleeping like the dead; to a casual observer, it would be hard to tell that he was actually alive. In high school, somebody like this would never have been able to get close to the F4. Did they change that much; more accurately, did Tsukushi change them that much? Or was there something about this guy that just made it hard to dislike him? Certainly Americans were more forward than most. Danny had thought nothing of shortening his name to Soji-_kun_, and insisted on being called by his name, as if they had been friends for a lifetime instead of a half-hour. But now that he thought about it, the others had not yet met this strange American. Perhaps they wouldn't like him, though he suspected Rui would, since he had a similar habit of falling asleep wherever and whenever he could. It still suggested that he, Nishikado Sojiro, had changed since high school, or that the American had some strange charisma hitherto unknown to him.

It was certainly unusual for him to behave so leniently with a stranger who was not a member of the opposite sex. The playboy in him could always cater to a woman, but it was unusual for him to do so for a man. Perhaps his _bishounen_ looks were working in his favor, fooling Sojiro's hormones.

"Hey, Sojiro, it's unusual for you to stare at a guy so intensely. You feeling okay?" Akira's voice cut through his reverie.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Akira stopped right outside the cafeteria door, a little perturbed by what he saw through the glass. Sojiro was just standing there, staring down at a sleeping guy, and that was definitely not normal. True, he was just as Sojiro had described, a real _bishie_, with a tall and slim figure—if only he had a face to match, what a hit he would be with the women—but that didn't explain why Sojiro would be staring at him. Hesitantly, he pushed the door open and walked inside. When Sojiro didn't move, he decided to break the strange quiet. "Hey, Sojiro, it's unusual for you to stare at a guy so intensely. You feeling okay?"

Sojiro's head snapped up and around, almost guiltily. However, he looked relieved to see Akira, and merely said, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Before he could say anything else, Rui and Tsukushi sauntered through the still open door, Tsukushi chattering away about a call she had gotten from Tsukasa. Rui just listened and nodded, though he smiled now and then at the mention of his now absent best friend. Despite their entry, the guy on the couch continued to sleep, so deeply you would easily think him a corpse. A kindred spirit to Rui, they would obviously get along well. Honestly, how a guy could sleep upwards of ten hours a day was beyond him. Looking back at Sojiro, Akira decided to start the conversation over like nothing had happened.

"So, this is the guy you were talking about? He really will have the girls all over him, though in those clothes they'll probably be screaming makeover," he said, giving the guy another once over. "Course, considering what we're wearing, I guess he's not much worse for the wear," he added, gesturing to their tee shirts, jeans, and sneakers. Rui was dressed much the same, though Tsukushi looked nice in a subdued pantsuit. You'd never guess that she worked as a cleaning lady after classes were over, he thought.

Sojiro glanced down at his clothes and laughed. "You know, I was thinking much the same thing when I first saw him, but I guess you're right. We're not doing much better. This guy's really interesting, Akira, but I guess he can tell you all about himself when he wakes up. What's Tsukushi rambling on about? It must be good news, for her to be this vocal."

"Hm? Oh, I don't know. You'll have to ask Rui, he's the one who's been paying attention. Something about Tsukasa, at any rate."

Tsukushi turned to them, a glare stamped clearly on her face. "You two never listen to a word I say, do you? Tsukasa is going to be in Japan tonight. The old witch is sending him here on business, so he'll only be here for a few days, but the meetings don't start until tomorrow so he'll be free tonight. I was thinking it would be nice for all of us to do something together, but obviously, neither of you were paying any attention. And he's your close friend, too."

Akira and Sojiro were too excited over their friend's unexpected return to pay any attention to the reproach. Besides, they were used to being censured by Tsukushi, who thought that they needed to start acting like serious adults. Eventually, the hubbub woke Danny. Pulling the hat from his head and rumpling his hair, he blinked the sleep from his eyes. Large, emerald-colored eyes, that set off the black hair and confirmed Akira's earlier sentiments about how the girls would receive him. "Huh? Oh, you must be Akira-_san_, Tsukushi-_san_, and Rui-_san_. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm O'Brien Danny, just Danny for short."

Akira nodded. "I see you know our names already; that's good."

"_Hai_. Soji-_kun_ was telling me about you," he nodded, stretching and yawning before climbing to his feet. "He said that you guys were the F3, and that Tsukushi-_san_ was the girlfriend of one of your close friends."

"_Hai_. Wait, Soji-_kun_? Sojiro, what's this?" he exclaimed, turning to his playboy friend. "Normally, you don't even let women give you strange nicknames, but Danny-_kun_ can?"

Sojiro just shook his head. "He's an American; I figured it was one of their idiosyncrasies."

Danny looked from Sojiro to Akira. "I'm sorry, did I do something wrong? I like to give my friends nicknames. And you can call me just Danny, Kira-_kun_. Is it all right if I call you that? It's not weird?" he added, a worried look on his face. With that expression, he looked more like a teenage girl than a young man. Not his type, Akira thought, but it was easy to see why Sojiro was acting so strangely. It was like you couldn't say no to a guy like him.

"No, I guess Kira-_kun_ is okay. Are you going to give all of us nicknames?"

"All except Rui-_kun_; his name is short enough already. But is it all right if I call you Tsuki-_chan_?" Danny asked Tsukushi, a hesitant smile on his face. "I've heard a lot about you from Soji­-_kun_, and I think we'll be great friends."

Akira shot a quick glance at Sojiro. Somehow, he didn't think a guy becoming "great friends" with Tsukushi would go over well with Tsukasa. Seeing his expression, Sojiro said, "It's not like that, Akira. It has to do with Danny's circumstances; that's all. He's a lot like Tsukushi."

Ignoring this interlude, Tsukushi nodded to Danny. "I guess, though the last time I was called 'Tsuki' was not a high point in my life."

Danny grinned at her. "Well, we will make some new memories of 'Tsuki,' and then you won't remember the bad times anymore. I think it's great that I can be friends with someone like you, Tsuki-_chan_. I'm not a corporate heir or anything like that, so I'm glad that I found somebody I could relate to here at Eitoku. Honestly, I didn't think I'd find anybody who'd understand me when I got here, but this was the school the company sponsoring me chose. I'm a freshman too, so maybe we'll have some classes together."

So that's how it is, thought Akira. He senses a kindred spirit in Tsukushi. I guess I should've known that Sojiro wouldn't bring somebody in to break them up, since he was so keen on bringing them together in the first place. Let's see what else we can find out about this guy. "A company's sponsoring you, you say? You must have impressed them."

"_Hai_," Sojiro said. "Though he doesn't find it impressive in the least, Danny graduated from MIT with a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Mechanical Engineering last spring at the age of nineteen."

"Really? Well, I guess we'll be able to say 'I knew him when' about this boy genius when he makes his mark," Akira said, noting the flush that spread over the American's face. So he embarrassed easily.

A sheepish grin spread over the American's face as he unconsciously ruffled his hair. "Eh heh, it's no big deal, really. I mean, lots of people can graduate early and stuff like that. Say, is the food going to be served anytime soon? I'm starving over here," he added, hurriedly changing the subject. "I can't wait to try out their French menu and see how it compares to _Kaasan_'s cooking."

"That's right, you mentioned your _kaasan_ earlier," Sojiro said. "Does she own a restaurant chain?"

"_Iie_. _Kaasan_'s a chef; she just opened a Cajun restaurant last year. It's been doing really well, so unless a hurricane hits this fall, she should be able to open at another location soon."

"Oh, she must have great cooking skills then," Akira replied. "The school has great chefs, but I'm not sure how they might compare."

"_Hai_. _Kaasan_ is the best cook. She specializes in Cajun dishes, but she's also a master of French cuisine. For years, she worked in the best restaurants of New Orleans before she could open her own, so she has it down to a fine art. Anyway, bouillabaisse is one of her best dishes, so I can't wait to see how this compares."

"Your _kaasan_'s a chef; but what does your _tousan_ do?" Tsukushi asked. "He's not a bum, is he?"

"_Dame_. _Tousan_ is an eco-biologist. He moved to New Orleans to perform research for the Royal Irish Academy; they were concerned about wetlands erosion and the affect it can have on the ecology. After he met _Kaasan_, he decided to stay in America. He still does work for the Academy on occasion, but mainly he does research for a think tank," Danny explained. "But that's enough about me, really. I want to know more about all of you, and about Tsukasa-_san_. I kind of already know about what your parents do, except for yours, Tsuki-_chan_. Do you guys have siblings, girlfriends? Stuff like that."

Akira chuckled. This American didn't waste any time delving into their personal affairs; most people their age would have been reticent about telling so much, let alone prying into their lives. It made for a nice change from sycophancy. "Well, Sojiro is a major playboy, always picking up ladies. I bet you anything that he was trying his moves out on the new secretary when he got to the office earlier, am I right?"

"_Hai_," Danny laughed, nodding his head. "He was making her blush when I walked through the door. He was so wrapped up, he didn't even notice me until I said _konnichiwa_."

"That sounds like Sojiro," Tsukushi said, smiling. "Never serious about any woman."

"But there's just so many of you to love, Tsukushi," Sojiro said. "How can I limit myself to just one? Anyway," he added, turning to Akira, "you're the one who dates older, married women, so you can't talk about my dating habits."

The American's mouth dropped a little, but he quickly recovered his composure, muttering something in English that sounded like "takes all sorts" to Akira. Not that his English was fantastic, but he was fluent enough to understand. "So I like the mature type, you got a problem with that? Anyway, what kind do you like, Danny?"

The American fidgeted in his seat looking everywhere but at them. "I, uh, actually don't date…"

"What?! Are you homosexual, like that guy Tsukushi knew in high school, what's his name—Kazuga or something like that?" That would be just great, bringing in a gay guy to swoon all over them.

"What? _Dame_! Of course not. I just…don't date, period. I mean, I never have. I would much rather just hang out with my friends or go to a skate park or something like that."

Akira looked at Sojiro, realized what he was thinking. Point of fact, it was the same thing he was thinking. They were going to have to find a date for this guy. They'd do that later though. Right now, it was time for food. The cafeteria staff had arrived, and so had the other students. With them came the fan club, a group of girls who did nothing but torment Tsukushi and fawn over the F3. They'd been at it since high school, and had never really accepted Tsukushi as Tsukasa's girlfriend. If Danny went over poorly with them, it could mean a lot of trouble for him this year. If he was going to hang with the F3. Come to think of it, nobody had even discussed it. Somehow, he seemed to have been just accepted by them. Rui had just nodded and gone to sleep, a tacit approval on his part.

"Oh my, is this why they called you to the office, Nishikado-_san_? He must be someone fairly important." Ah, the queen of the witches had arrived. Perhaps it would be best to let Sojiro handle this one; he was always better at handling girls their own age. Sojiro seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he turned to face them immediately.

"_Hai_. His company is sending him to Eitoku to achieve two more degrees. He'll be doing business in the area as well, so I don't expect he'll have a lot of time to get to know you. Anyway, I think it's best that we get something to eat and then finish our tour of the campus, don't you, O'Brien-_san_?"

Puzzled, the American nodded. "_Hai_, but why-"

"Good, then we're agreed," Sojiro said. "Sorry ladies, but we'll have to chat later."

Disappointed, the girls turned around and walked away, but Akira could hear them talking about the newcomer. "I guess the grunge look is in then? I mean, he is hanging with the F3…he's so good-looking, it would be great if we could see him dressed up. He might even be worth something, too…" Disgusted, Akira turned away. So typical; a new student was just like a slab of meat. The only thing they would talk about was how they could use him to their advantage. Oh well, that was the world they lived in.

"Well, I guess I'll go get food. You guys want anything?" Danny said, pulling the cap back on and standing up.

Sojiro stood up as well. "I'll come with you. Besides, after you've seen the prices for the menu, you'll want to take back that offer. Japanese menu, guys?" he added, turning to the group. Rui nodded, indicating that he was not actually asleep, and so did Akira. Tsukushi, however, said that she had brought her lunch and not to worry about her. The two of them walked off to the lines, returning in a few minutes with loaded trays. Being with the F3 carried certain perks, including being served first.

"_Itadakimasu_!" Danny exclaimed, before digging into the meal. He was left-handed, Akira noted. After savoring the stew for a few minutes, he nodded and began eating with gusto. The bouillabaisse disappeared rapidly, Danny going back for another bowl that vanished almost as quickly as the first. The third bowl disappeared more slowly, but still rapid enough to make Akira stare.

"Ah, that was excellent; almost as good as _Kaasan_'s," he commented, sitting back with a contented look on his face. "I hadn't eaten since half-way through the plane trip, and even then I wouldn't consider peanuts and a soda a real meal. So, are you all going to come with us on the tour, or do you have classes to go back to?"

"We don't have class again until two, but Tsukushi has class again at 12," Rui responded, the first thing he'd said since they'd entered the cafeteria.

"Well, if you want, you guys can come too then. I'd like to get to know all of you better. Hey, maybe we can do something together tonight, just friends, you know?" the American added suddenly, as if the thought had just occurred to him.

Akira thought about it for a second. He wouldn't be able to see her tonight anyway, but there was the matter of Tsukasa being in town. "Well, I wouldn't mind, but Tsukushi's boyfriend is going to be in town, and tonight's probably his only free night."

"Oh…well, do you think he'd like to join us?" Danny asked, turning to Tsukushi. "I could make us something to eat, and then we could go hang out for a while, and the two of you could have some…alone time," he added.

"Um…sure, why not?"


	2. Gumbo, Beignets, and Cafe au Lait

Hi, it's me again! Thanks for reading, and please, if you have any questions, ask them in a review. No spoilers will be forthcoming though, lol. Here's our term list for the chapter:

Moshi moshi—greeting typically used on the phone

Do itashimashite—you're welcome

Gomen nasai—sorry

Ojiisan—grandfather, uncle

Bodhran—traditional handheld Celtic drum

Gumbo—Cajun dish, kind of like a soup or stew served over rice

Toque—chef's hat

Yokoso—welcome

Andouille—sausage commonly used in Cajun dishes

Café au lait—literally, coffee with milk

Beignet—French pastry fried and covered in powdered sugar

Gumbo, Beignets, and Café au Lait

The rest of the morning and afternoon had passed without event. Tsukushi went to the library between classes to catch up on some coursework, and Rui opted for a nap, so only Akira and Sojiro showed Danny around the campus. At two, Akira had to go to a statistics class, leaving Sojiro and the newcomer to their own devices. After showing all of the classrooms and labs to Danny, Sojiro moved on to the high school campus.

"This is the high school; normally, we won't have any reason to be over here, but occasionally the high school students are sent over to the college campus for study periods. Also, some of the _senseis_ ask college students to substitute teach their classes for them. That's unlikely to happen in your case because you're a foreigner, though they might still ask you to teach English or math."

"I think I understand. Now that you mention it, I believe Ohtori-_sama_ mentioned something along those lines. I wasn't paying too much attention to him though; he looks remarkably like a fish, don't you think so, Soji-_kun_?"

"_Hai_," he said, trying really hard not to laugh. "Anyway, unless you are asked to teach, you won't need to know your way around here, so I'm not going to waste our time with that. Where are you staying? You did say you were going to cook dinner for us tonight."

"_Hai_; it's only a few blocks away, but I haven't been there yet. Maybe you can help me find it?" he said, gesturing out toward the road.

"Hmm…" Sojiro thought about it for a moment. After all, he didn't have anything else to do today, so why not help his new friend? Perhaps after he showed him the apartment, they could go out looking for girls, or something like that. "I don't see why not. Perhaps I can help you get settled in, and then we can go explore the neighborhood."

A smile lit up the American's face. "Excellent!I'm going to need to shop for groceries too. I already know what I want to fix; it's a Cajun dish and one of my favorites. _Kaasan_ made sure I had plenty of spices before I left, but I'm going to need to get everything else and start prepping. What time do you think it will be tonight?"

"Tsukushi will have work until about seven, so I'd say about eight. I think she said Tsukasa's flight would land at six, so he's going to pick her up at work. Does she have your address, Danny?"

The American nodded. "_Hai_. I gave it to Tsuki-_chan_, Kira-_kun_, and Rui-_kun_ before we left the cafeteria, just in case we didn't see them again for the rest of the day. It's upsetting that I don't know any of your addresses though; I'll have to get them from all of you tonight. It would be presumptuous to not return a visit, am I right, Soji-_kun_?"

"It is considered good manners to return a visit to one's home, yes, but it's customary to wait for an invitation." When he saw Danny's slightly embarrassed face, he hurriedly added, "But I wouldn't worry about that; we don't stand much on formality amongst friends, and you seem to have been accepted by everybody."

"You really think so, Soji-_kun_? I would hate to be one of those people that are barely tolerated, like those strange women from the fan club. By the way, why did you rush them away like that this afternoon? I can't say I was happy with what they were saying about me, but you made me sound more important than I am."

Sojiro looked away, slightly embarrassed. So the American had caught on to what he had been doing; it wasn't like him to be so easily read. "Heh. I was just trying to protect you from the kind of torments they've been subjecting Tsukushi to. There wasn't much we could to do to stop that, but I figured we could at least prevent you from having to experience it so soon."

At his puzzled expression, he decided to elaborate a bit more. "They don't approve of anybody without money associating with the F3, even if it is a really cute guy. The second they find out that you're not a corporate heir, if you're lucky, you'll be of no interest to them. If you're not, then they'll do everything they can to make you miserable, and their bullying has a tendency to get out of hand."

"Oh, well, _arigatou,_ Soji-_kun_, but I think I could probably handle them. I'm used to how malicious girls can be; I had to deal with it a lot in high school. My classmates didn't like having somebody two years younger wrecking the bell curve, and they did a lot of things to make me miserable: part of the reason why I've never dated. I couldn't relate to any of my peers. Anyway, I'm used to barbed words, and if it gets more physical than that, I know kickboxing, karate, and Brazilian jujitsu," Danny said. "Hmm…I can't make heads or tails of this address; you write them so differently from how we do in America."

"Here, let me see," Sojiro said, extending his hand to take the slip of paper from Danny. "Let me call my driver, he'll be able to get us there. He should be hovering somewhere around the campus anyway," he added, pulling out his cell phone and hitting the speed dial. "_Moshi moshi_. Taki, bring the car around to the high school entrance. _Hai_, we're going to be showing a friend of mine to his apartment."

"_Arigatou,_ Soji-_kun_. I'll have to pay special attention to our route so that I remember how to get back to campus; I doubt I'll ever understand directions over here."

"_Do itashimashite_, Danny. Ah, there's Taki now," he said, pointing to the brand new Mercedes rolling to a stop in front of them. A short, balding Japanese man in a suit and sunglasses got out of the car and walked around to their side, opening the door for them.

"You can get in first, Danny," Sojiro added, seeing the hesitation on his face. He obviously wasn't used to having people open car doors for him, so Sojiro nudged him forward.

"Ah, oh, _gomen nasai_," he said, flushing as he stepped forward and slid across the car seat. Sojiro climbed in after him and shut the door as Taki walked back to the driver's side door.

"Take us to this address." He handed the slip of paper to Taki. "This is O'Brien-_san_'s apartment building. Drive slowly so he can remember the route."

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The apartment was large and spacious. Not as fancy as some, but decidedly a comfortable place to live, maybe bring home a girl—or two or three. Not all at once, of course. Danny was drooling over the kitchen, a good-sized room with a large stove, double oven, and the latest in kitchen appliances. The main room had a table, couch, and entertainment center, and was currently packed with boxes and cases. Glancing around, Sojiro noted that quite a few cartons had the English word "kitchen" scrawled on them. He hadn't been kidding when he said that he liked to cook.

"Soji-_kun_, how well do you read English?"

"Tolerably well; I have a fairly extensive English vocabulary," he answered, turning another carton around to display the word "spices."

"Could you please help me carry any boxes marked "kitchen" in here? I need to unpack them if I'm going to cook," he added, appearing in the doorway. "Ah, I see you found my spices. I'm going to need those too."

Danny crouched and heaved a large box to his shoulder, grabbing the smaller carton of spices in his spare hand. Sojiro followed suit, grabbing the other two boxes of cooking gear. Once in the kitchen, Danny whipped out a box cutter and sent it zooming around the edges of the first box, pulling the flaps aside to reveal professional grade skillets and pots. Another box contained more professional chef's tools and a large colander. With Sojiro's help, he quickly stashed all of the kitchen equipment neatly in cupboards. The third box contained some fairly nice dishes and silverware. Nothing that would be used at his house, but it was of better than average quality.

"You have a lot of kitchen equipment, Danny," he commented as he put a stack of plates in one of the cupboards. "Did you buy all of this before coming here?"

"_Iie_. I had all of this in my apartment in Boston, when I was at MIT. I mainly used my coupons for lunch or snacks between classes; I cooked dinner myself."

"Oh, so you're used to living on your own then? I thought you must have lived in a dorm, had a roommate."

"I thought better of it. I'd already had problems in high school, and I was afraid to room with somebody who'd end up feeling the same way. Not to say that I didn't have friends, but there was no guarantee that a roommate would be one, so I opted to live off campus," he explained. Straightening the last glass as he put it on the shelf, Danny stepped back to admire his work. Satisfied, he hurried back into the next room and started shoving boxes around.

Sojiro leaned against the doorframe. "What are you looking for now?"

"Linens. I have some towels and dishcloths for the kitchen," Danny responded without looking up. "Ah, here's one," he added, hefting a large box. The box cutter slid easily through the tape and Danny pulled out towels, sheets, and a large comforter. "Hmm…must be in the other box. Do you see it anywhere, Soji-_kun_?"

Glancing around, Sojiro said, "I think it's behind you."

"_Arigatou_." Turning, Danny grabbed the box. Out came the box cutter; this time, the flaps pulled aside to reveal dishtowels, linen napkins, a tablecloth, dishcloths, and potholders. It was interesting that everything matched, royal blue, white, or both. Most young bachelors wouldn't even notice the colors and patterns, let alone care whether they matched. Still, the deep royal blue was a nice complement to the red and white dishes. His mother must have gone shopping with him.

Bending to help, Sojiro spread the tablecloth over the western-style dinner table, anchoring it in the center with the empty bud vase that had been left out. Dumping the napkins on top, he helped Danny carry the rest of the linens into the kitchen and stored them in an empty drawer.

"Soji-_kun_, could you please open this up and take out my spice rack?" Danny tapped the smaller carton.

"Go ahead, I have things covered here." Wielding another box cutter, Sojiro ripped open the box and pulled out a short, wide wire rack. Peering inside the box, he saw a number of newspaper-wrapped bundles. After a few minutes of unwrapping, a row of glass bottles with neat, hand-written labels gleamed on the counter. Unsure of how Danny wanted them arranged, he placed them in alphabetical order in the rack. At least they would be easy to find, and Danny could rearrange them later if he wanted to.

Danny reappeared in the doorway, a large red tote and keys in hand. "I need to go shopping for the dinner now, or it won't be finished on time. Are you coming with me, Soji-_kun_? You could stay here," he added, holding the door open.

"_Hai_, I'll come with you. What would I do here anyway?" he said, crossing the room and pulling the door shut behind him, testing that it was locked before he let go.

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It's a good thing he came, or Danny would have gotten lost, Sojiro thought as they walked back to the apartment. That, and he would've needed to sprout an extra arm or two. There were lots of ingredients in this gumbo that he kept talking about; Sojiro had no idea why Danny thought he could have gotten it all back to his kitchen alone.

Sojiro glanced at the clock as they put the bags down on the counter. For all the haggling and deliberation, the shopping trip had taken surprisingly little time. Danny was a shrewd merchant and had pushed for bargains on the fresh produce and chicken. Wrong time of year for the seafood, the merchant had said, but Danny had still managed to get his hands on some small shrimp. He wasted no time in the kitchen either, going straight to his knife block and cutting board with a bag of freshly washed produce, an apron around his waist and a strap holding his hair out of his face. Watching him chop onion and celery, Sojiro wouldn't have been surprised if he had been wearing a chef's coat, apron, and toque; his attitude was so professional.

Since watching somebody chop vegetables wasn't exactly entertainment, though, Sojiro wandered into the other room and started unpacking some more boxes. In the next room, the largest cases were still on the floor. Unzipping one, Sojiro saw what looked like a pair of cymbals. What on earth would he need those for? he thought, setting the case aside. Fifteen minutes later, he was staring at a complete drum set in black and red and chrome. Not assembled, of course. He'd never played drums; he had no idea how to do that. Opening another case revealed a smaller, more traditional instrument. The taut leather drumhead was painted with an intricate dragon emblem in green and black; the wooden frame was stained a dark brown. As he pulled the instrument out, a double-headed stick clattered to the floor.

"I see you found my instruments. Careful with that bodhran; it was _Ojiisan_'s."

Startled, Sojiro nearly dropped the drum, but Danny was already there, taking it out of his hands. "Boron? I thought that was an element." If he remembered his chemistry correctly.

"Aheh, it is, Soji-_kun_. But this is a traditional Celtic instrument. The names do sound the same, though," he added, placing the drum and beater stick on the table. " I wasn't planning on setting up my drum kit yet; guess I'll take care of it once the gumbo is started. Just be careful not to bump them, Soji-_kun_."

Turning away from the drums, Sojiro moved to the boxes that had "fun stuff" written on the side. He pushed aside the flaps to reveal movies, a desktop computer and laptop, and a massive amount of CDs from bands across the world.

Flipping through the movies, he started to shelf items automatically. There was a season of Iron Chef, some shows that looked like comedies, and a lot of action movies, like _Die-Hard _and the Indiana Jones trilogy. Starting on the CDs, he noticed that they were mainly all rock, from its beginning to the present. There was especially a lot of industrial and punk rock. That was to be expected, considering the skateboard and the clothes. A good bit of metal too. Surprisingly, about a fifth of the CDs were Irish and Scottish groups, everything from traditional music to rock. Some of them appeared to be homemade as well; Sojiro grouped them together on their own shelf. Probably compilation CDs.

Satisfied with his arrangement of the entertainment center, Sojiro grabbed the box of computer gear, balancing it on his shoulder. "Where do you want the computers, Danny?"

"Um…on the desk in the bedroom is fine. Do you know how to set it up?"

"_Hai_," he called over his shoulder as he pushed the bedroom door open with his foot. A large bed and several boxes marked "Clothes" crowded the room. He pushed a box away with his foot, clearing a path to the desk. In a matter of minutes, he had all of the cords in the right places and had set the monitor up. It was an LCD screen—pretty nice for a college kid without wealth or connections. The wireless modem and router took longer, mainly because he had to find the Internet jack first. He eventually found it hiding behind the bed. The laptop was top of the line, too; he set the battery up to charge before turning to the boxes of clothes.

"Did you get everything set up okay?"

Sojiro glanced up. Danny was leaning against the doorway in his cooking getup, ladle in hand. With his hair pulled back and the apron dwarfing his slim figure, he could almost be mistaken for a girl. That posture of his had guy written all over it though, as did the oversized jeans. He wasn't wearing any slippers or socks.

"_Hai_. Aren't you going to get cold like that?" he asked, collapsing the last box and adding it to the pile.

"Eh?" he said, puzzled, before looking down. "Oh, that. _Iie,_ my feet are always cold anyway, so why bother trying to keep them warm? You don't have to bother with those boxes, I'd prefer to unpack them myself. I didn't have time to do that earlier because I wanted to get to the store," he added, turning around and walking back to the main room. "Come give me a hand with my drum kit, Soji-_kun_."

It was disturbing that he stared that hard at a guy who was walking away. If things didn't clear up soon, he would have to be spending some serious time with a psychiatrist or something.

It didn't take long to set the drums up in a corner of the room. Even with his limited knowledge, Sojiro could tell that it was a very nice set. There were quite a few bells and whistles attached to it—quite literally. There was a wide array of percussion instruments in the cases they unpacked. Together, they placed them on the shelves in the room.

"Soji-_kun_, can you unpack those boxes of books?" Danny asked, pointing to the three remaining boxes. "Aside from my clothes, that's all that's left, and I have to go tend to food."

He nodded, waving Danny back towards the kitchen. "Go ahead, I can handle things here."

Danny flashed him a smile of gratitude. "_Arigatou_, Soji-_kun_. You've been a huge help to me."

As Danny disappeared back into the kitchen, Sojiro decided he would have to add a psychiatrist to his speed dial. Definitely not normal, he thought to himself as he shelved the books on mathematics and physics, pausing to study a biography of Leonardo da Vinci before adding several more books on engineering and several novels. Not a wide literature selection, he noted. Mainly mysteries. The bottom of the last box included several musical scores that he put on the shelf with the bodhran.

Going through both rooms, he started collapsing all of the empty cartons, gathering up the linens as he did so. Again, they were all in matching tones of royal blue, white, and red. Definitely had gone shopping with his _kaasan_. After stocking the bathroom and making the bed, he slid the stack of empty boxes under the bed. With nothing else to do, Sojiro wandered into the kitchen.

Danny was stirring the gumbo with one hand and checking the bread in the oven with the other. A fresh-tossed salad sat in a bowl on the counter. Otherwise, it was empty. Sojiro could see where the utensils had been neatly put into the dishwasher. Obviously, Danny was somebody who liked to clean up as he worked. The doorbell rang, and Danny turned to glance at the front door.

"I'll get it, Danny," Sojiro said, crossing to the entranceway. "You just keep cooking."

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Tsukasa didn't understand why he'd been hauled out to a total stranger's apartment when he had just gotten home. He especially didn't understand it when he wanted to spend some time with Tsukushi, time he wasn't likely to get again during his stay. He'd had the perfect hotel picked out too so that they could finally—shoot, if he thought about it anymore, it would be torture. Irritably, he glanced at his watch. "Honestly, why do I have to be here tonight?"

Tsukushi glared up at him. "Because it's Danny's first day here, the F3 and myself are the only people he knows, he's cooking a meal for us, and I said so. Besides, as the only one of us who spends extensive time in the U.S., you should be able to help him adjust."

Saying it for the third time was clearly making her exasperated, but he didn't mind. He'd deal with that later. As for cooking, well…he'd gotten used to commoner cooking since he started dating Tsukushi, but there was no telling what this guy would concoct. And did she just call him familiarly? "Oh, so it's Danny then."

"He insisted that all of us call him that, Tsukasa."

"Hmph," he grunted. It better just be American sociability, or else this guy wouldn't live to see another day. Danny, huh? The name sounded vaguely familiar…eh, no matter. At least the apartment was halfway decent, unlike the kinds of places Tsukushi used to live.

"About time," he began to say as the door pulled open; then just stood there dumbfounded, the "time" lost somewhere between his throat and the air. Sojiro was here, and looked like he had been for a while—and there was no girl in sight. Was he feeling all right? Peering around the doorjamb, Tsukasa saw the American in the kitchen doorway, but nobody else in the apartment. Something was definitely up if Sojiro ditched his playboy ways to help a stranger move in.

"Ah, Tsuki-_chan_! Come in; come in. Soji-_kun_, don't block the doorway, let them pass," he said, wiping his hand on the apron before offering it to Tsukasa. "_Konnichiwa_. I am O'Brien Danny. Please, just call me Danny. You must be Tsukasa-_san_. _Yokoso_."

Familiar with the ritual, Tsukasa shook the proffered hand. "_Konnichiwa_. Tsukushi says that you prefer to be called familiarly."

"_Hai_," he said, laughing and rumpling his hair. "It's difficult for me to use honorifics with friends especially, because we don't have anything like that back home. I understand you've been in the states," he added, stepping back and taking their jackets before hanging them on a hook.

Sojiro handed him some cheap slippers and he slipped them on before stepping out of the small foyer. "_Hai_, New York to be precise. And you?"

"New Orleans originally, but the past three years I've been in Boston. You're not a Yankees fan are you? I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good friendship before it even began," Danny added, a half-smile on his face.

"_Iie_, I'm not into sports. The closest I ever got was a Browns' game with Tsukushi. What took you to Boston though?" he said, sitting down at the table. Nice table, though it was a bit odd, a guy having all of that fancy stuff. Maybe he was gay; if that was the case, then he didn't have to worry about the guy being around Tsukushi.

"Well, Cambridge actually; I was at MIT until last spring, Kasa-_kun_. It's all right if I call you that, right?" he said pausing on his way back into the kitchen.

Making a Herculean effort to control his temper, Tsukasa agreed. After all, he was an American, and such things were common there. "I don't see why not. Just don't drop the honorific or I'll have to kick your ass. MIT eh? You transfer?"

"Not quite; I graduated. I'm interning here in Japan while I earn another degree at Eitoku. Tsuki-_chan_, could you help me in the kitchen?"

"He acts like it's nothing, but he's only 19, Tsukasa," Sojiro said, sitting down beside him after the others had disappeared into the kitchen. Quickly, he explained Danny's situation to Tsukasa, who couldn't help being interested, as much as it annoyed him to be. "No family money, but there's plenty of intelligence and talent. His _kaasan_ is a chef with her own restaurant, and his _tousan_ is a scientist of some repute apparently."

"You really do your research, Sojiro. You'll be a shrewd businessman when you inherit," he said, loosening his tie. Hmm…perfect opportunity. "Unless of course, you're asking because of more 'personal' reasons."

Before Sojiro could reply, the doorbell rang again. Tsukasa decided he'd let him handle the door. After all, he was just another guest.

Saved by the bell. Sojiro really didn't want to think about he'd just heard, especially considering that his own thoughts had been heading down that track not too long ago. Better that he not go there right now. Much better.

He could see that Akira and Rui had arrived at the same time as he opened the door. That meant they were all there; hopefully that meant dinner was ready soon. All that unpacking had made him hungry. Rui sniffed the air wafting out the door. "Yum, something smells delicious. Is it almost ready?"

"_Hai_," Danny laughed, motioning them to come inside. "_Yokoso_, Rui-_kun_, Kira-_kun_. It'll just be about five minutes; I was a little late getting started because I had to unpack some things this afternoon. Here, trade you," he added, handing them slippers in exchange for their jackets. Hanging them up, he said, "We're all here now, so as soon as it's ready we will eat."

Rui and Akira sat down at the table next to Tsukasa, started asking him how his trip had been. The reprieve granted Sojiro the time to clear his head. It certainly didn't signify anything that he had watched Danny walk back into the kitchen. Right. He was all right. Actually, he was in deeper than he wanted to admit, if his panic was any indication. Not good. Looked like multiple doctors and their funny sofas weren't as far away as he'd hoped. He sank into a chair next to the others and tried to pay attention to their conversation, but with marginal success.

"You know, that guy's name is strangely familiar."

Now Sojiro was all ears. Definitely not good. He tried to play it cool, let one of the others ask Tsukasa why. Thankfully, Akira was happy to oblige. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. It's like I've heard it recently because of something important; it's just niggling at the back of my mind. Oh well, I suppose if it really is important, I'll realize it soon."

The arrival of Danny and Tsukushi carrying bowls out of the kitchen thankfully put everything out of their minds. Once everybody had been served, he set down a basket of bread and the bowl of salad, as well as some small plates to put them on. The table must have been set while he was in the other room, Sojiro realized, the silverware and glasses shining on the crisp tablecloth and napkins. With a flourish, Danny whipped off the apron and headband. "Tonight, for your delectation and delight, we have a Cajun gumbo made with fresh vegetables, fresh shrimp, chicken, and my very limited supply of andouille sausage, served over fresh cooked rice. _Itadakimasu_!"

The food was delicious. Even Tsukasa ate it without grumbling and seemed to enjoy the meal. The conversation over dinner was typical small talk. This time the F4 and Tsukushi did most of the talking, telling Danny about their own lives and families. After the bowls were cleared, Danny brought in a tray of coffee cups. "Here's some authentic New Orleans café au lait. The beignets are best when fresh made, so I'll be back in a few minutes," he added, donning the apron again.

Sipping their coffee, which turned out to be very good, the conversation turned to Tsukasa's trip back to Japan.

"We know that you obviously didn't come just because of Tsukushi," Rui said, breaking the ice. "What brings you back this time?"

"Actually, I'll be seeing you guys often. One of our sub companies has a promising new candidate that they want considered for a very high position. She's supposed to be some kind of prodigy; I'm supposed to observe her for a few days as she settles in and report back to the old hag and the board. I'll also be coming back regularly to check up on her. What was her name again? Danielle."

"Hm?" Danny said, placing a platter of fluffy pastry covered in powdered sugar on the table. "What do you need Kasa-_kun_?"

"Nothing, I was talking about a new intern at my company."

"Oh. Then why did you say my name?" A stack of plates joined the platter. He started back for the kitchen, but hesitated, turning around and running his fingers through his hair. "Come to think of it, how did you know my full name? I don't think I mentioned it."

They all stared at Danny. A blush started to spread across his cheeks. "What, did I say something weird?"

"Um…you wouldn't happen to be interning at Endymion International?"

"_Hai_. They're sponsoring me at Eitoku. How would you know that, Kasa-_kun_?"

"Because they're a subset of the Domyoji Corporation. Which means that you work for me. It also means that…you're…a girl?"

The silence was so intense you could hear a pin drop. "You mean you guys didn't know?"


	3. Let the Good Times Roll

Sorry for the wait! I've also done some editing on the first two chapters, so I hope you approve of the changes. Here's this chapter's vocabulary list:

Ore/atashi—I

Bishoujo—similar to bishounen; beautiful girl

Daijoubu—okay, it's okay, etc.

Sake—rice wine

Black Bush—high quality Bushmill's Irish Whiskey

Laissez les bon temps roulez—Cajun expression; "let the good times roll" (pronounced lay-say lay bon ton rou-lay)

Ohayo—good morning

Ano—er, um; but

Spineshank—American nu metal band

Let the Good Times Roll

The group sitting around the table looked stunned. That didn't bode well. It wasn't the first time this had happened, Danny sighed, one hand reflexively rumpling her hair. More than once her mother had told her that she should act more like a girl…a woman. And she had tried, really…well, at least a little. It was just that girls were expected to be pink and frilly and, well, girly. Which she wasn't at all.

When the girls in her class had been talking Barbie and My Little Ponies, she'd been talking skateboards and baseball. She'd never had a girl friend, never worn a dress—not even to prom. Hell, she hadn't even been on a date. When she went to dances in high school, she had always gone by herself or taken her best friend, George. George's girlfriend lived in another state, so he never had anybody to go with anyway.

Back home, there'd even been rumors that she was a lesbian, which was definitely not true. It wasn't that she didn't like boys. She could admire a fine specimen of male physique just like any other girl. Which the F4 were, point of note. Very fine. She certainly hadn't expected Japanese men to be so tall; they made her look short, which didn't happened much. That was off topic though. It was more like she'd never met a guy who she liked as more than one of the guys. What she had told Sojiro was true as well. She'd had so many problems relating to her peers, the opportunity to really date had never presented itself.

All of which apparently lent itself to her being mistaken for a guy. Well, the task at hand was to explain all of this without sabotaging her new friendships. Great. Just great. "Uh, let's start over. I'm O'Brien Danielle, but my friends all call me Danny."

Well, laughter was a good response…hopefully. Sojiro was taking a lot of flak from the others for some reason, but they were all smiling and laughing uproariously. That was a good sign, right? She couldn't help but laugh herself, collapsing back into her chair. After they had all calmed down, Sojiro asked the first question.

"Why do you use male speech?"

Male speech, what was that? "Um…not sure what that means."

"Well, _ore_ is the male form of your English 'I;' _atashi_ is the feminine," he explained, writing them out in romaji. "So whenever you use _ore_, you're saying that you're a guy."

"Oh…well then…never knew that there were different forms of 'I'…um…"Danny said, biting her lip and blushing furiously. "Now that I think about it, my tutor kept forgetting I was a girl…called me 'son' and other masculine nicknames. Er, it was just like they fit my personality, so I didn't mind…what am I going to do?"

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She—now he knew that Danny was a she, he was so relieved—looked cute like that, flustered and embarrassed. More sincere than that new secretary, whatever her name was. She had been obviously pleased, even if his attentions had brought a flush to her cheeks. Not that he minded that; he liked pleasing women, as a matter of fact. Especially in bed. But the genuine emotion on Danny's face was refreshing. He could take pleasure in that opinion now, instead of suppressing it while doubting his sexuality.

She was right though, what was she going to do? With every sentence, she was stumbling over _ore_ and _atashi_, unsure of which to use. And male speech did seem to fit her personality, somebody so obviously tomboyish.

"Well, considering your situation, I would just use _ore_." Akira spoke first, but his thought patterns must have resembled Sojiro's—at least a little. "After all, that's what you've been using and it's what you're comfortable with. We know you're a girl, and I doubt we'll forget it. Besides, it'll be best if the fan club thinks you're a guy; otherwise, you'll draw the same torture that Tsukushi used to," he added.

It was true; Sojiro hadn't even thought about that development yet.

"_Hai_," Tsukushi said. "They've mainly given up on me, especially since Tsukasa is not around for them to try to steal, but any new person who has shown up hasn't survived the torment. Best to spare you the trouble completely."

"Oh, all right then," Danny said, nodding. How could he have not noticed she was a girl? Even with all of her boyish habits, the signs were still there. Something about her face that had sent triggers to his hormones. And he had called her a _bishounen_; obviously, she was a _bishoujo_ instead. And her voice, though low and throaty, was quite musical in tone.

Now that she was over the obvious embarrassment, the conversation turned back to other things. Tsukasa and Danny made plans for the next few days at work, where he would supervise her performance personally. Danny promised to cook dinner for the group again before he left, this time a three course French dinner. Tsukushi and Tsukasa stated that they intended to go on a date and had to leave soon.

That knowledge drew Sojiro from his self-absorbed reverie. Obviously, they'd want some alone time.

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Sojiro had been unexpectedly quiet since her revelation. Pensively, she looked at him from above the dishes she was gathering off of the table. Tsukasa was helping Tsukushi on with her coat.

"Bye, Tsuki-_chan_, Kasa-_kun_," she called from the kitchen, waving a hand as they let themselves out. "Have a good time! So what do you guys want to do now? Do you already have plans?" she added, turning to the three men still seated at her table.

Akira answered her, "No, we have no plans. How about we go to a club? There's one nearby that's very nice."

"I don't know," she said. Geez, did she have to admit this? "I mean, I've never been to one…"

"Come on, it will be fun," Akira said.

Danny glanced at Sojiro. He still hadn't said anything; was he really that shocked to find out she was a girl?

To her relief, he smiled at her. "Don't worry about that, you'll have a good time with us."

"Um…but, I don't know what to wear."

"_Daijoubu_. We're going as is, anyway," Sojiro said. "We're just going to hang out and drink."

She hesitated; but Sojiro just smiled again. "My treat."

She couldn't say "no" at this point—never in her life had she turned down free booze.

And he really did have a charming smile, especially when it was turned on you full blast. "_Arigatou_. Just let me grab my coat."

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The club was only a few blocks away from Danny's apartment. Rui had never been there before, but Akira and Sojiro had—often. He couldn't understand their fascination with picking up women. He had only loved two women, and neither relationship had worked out for him. Looked like being single was better.

At least they had a good menu. And there were lots of sofas. Once things got too boring, he could rack out on one. He was already stifling a yawn.

He glanced over at their new friend. She was still carrying that skateboard of hers; he didn't get that. Oh well, she was an excellent cook. And she shared his penchant for sleeping anytime and anywhere available; that made her okay in his book. But he couldn't see her as a girl. Her habits, outfits, and interests were screaming guy. It was amusing though, to watch Sojiro's reactions.

It wasn't a surprise that Sojiro had been the one to pick up on it, even if it was only subconsciously. Oh, it was interesting to imagine what had been going through his head today, before he found out the truth. Too bad it couldn't have gone on a little longer; it was funny to watch Sojiro lose his cool over a "guy."

Rui ordered a bottle of _sake_ and sat down on a sofa. Glancing around the room, he could see all of the women in the room turning to look at them. Not surprising; they tended to draw stares wherever they went.

It didn't take long for the others to join him. Sojiro had charmed the server, too; she had their order within minutes. Rui could tell that she would be waiting on them hand and foot the rest of the night. He sipped his _sake_. Akira had ordered cocktails, Sojiro, a local beer.

Danny's order was the most surprising. She was alternating sips of a dark draught with shots of whiskey. She had ordered a whole bottle of it—something called Black Bush.

"Hey, let me try that," Sojiro said, swiping her shot glass. Rui grinned at the look on his face; it looked like he had been force-fed poison. He managed to swallow, then drained a whole glass of water, Akira laughing and thumping him on the back.

"How can you drink that stuff?" he coughed.

"It's an acquired taste," she said, downing another shot and chasing it with a sip of beer. "I should know, I've spent seven years acquiring it."

"Seven years? So you first tried this…stuff…when you were twelve?" Sojiro sounded as surprised as Rui was. When he'd been in the U.S., he had always gotten the impression that such things weren't done.

"Actually, I was ten," she said, taking another sip. "But I couldn't swallow it. I went and gargled with mouthwash after, too, to get the taste out of my mouth," she added, chuckling.

She drained her glass and signaled the server for another glass of whatever it was she was drinking. "What?" she asked, glancing around. "Is there something on my face?"

"_Iie_," Akira said. "It's just that we thought Americans were more…you know, strict about underage drinking. Isn't that the impression you got Rui?"

"_Hai_. At least, that's how things were in New York," he said.

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Danny was surprised; up until then, she hadn't really heard Rui speak. At least, not to her. Why was he so quiet? Just part of his nature, then? Oh well, she wouldn't think too hard on it.

"You're not wrong. _Tousan_ hardly cares about drinking age to begin with; it's how he was raised. Besides, _Kaasan_ felt that if they controlled my exposure to alcohol, then I'd be less likely to end up in an alcohol-induced coma. Once I showed an interest in it, they would let me try different things. Always in moderation, of course," she finished, taking her refilled glass from the server. "_Arigatou_.

"Liassez les bon temps roules," she said, turning to them and raising her glass. When she noticed their puzzled expressions, she gestured for them to do the same, saying, "It means 'let the good times roll.'"

"We'll drink to that," Akira said, and Sojiro nodded in agreement before bumping their glasses to hers.

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They didn't dance, but they drank. Man, did they drink. Sojiro was pretty sure his head was going to explode from the pressure. For the life of him, he couldn't remember going home. The whole night had started to blur when Rui ordered the tequila.

The sunlight stabbed through his eyelids as he climbed out of the car. Blinking, he glanced around. He couldn't see Danny anywhere. Perhaps her hangover was even more severe and she had stayed home. Perhaps he should've done the same, he thought, wincing.

Or not, he amended, as he saw a figure on a skateboard come flying around the corner. Danny braked to a perfect stop right in front of him, flipping the board up into her hands and landing in one smooth movement. She pulled the earbuds out, draping them casually around her neck. His head started to pound in rhythm with the music pulsing from them.

"_Ohayo_, Soji-_kun_."

How could she be so cheerful? He grunted back a reply, turning to take his bag from the chauffeur. He jumped, something icy pressing against his neck. "What the f-"

"Drink this," she said, pressing the cold bottle into his hand. "It's my personal recipe; it works wonders on hangovers."

He took it from her. "_Arigatou_; but how did you know?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "With the way you were mainlining tequila last night? I figured it would be best to mix up a batch. It tastes better when cold," she added, motioning to the concoction.

Taking the hint, Sojiro held his breath and took an experimental sip. It actually didn't taste that bad. It wasn't good either, but he'd drunk worse things in his pursuit of hangover relief. He finished the beverage quickly. "Did you already have some of this then?"

"_Iie_," she shrugged. "I didn't need any. I never drink enough to get a hangover; I came up with this to help _Kaasan_. So, I'm ready for my first day of class. You coming, Soji-_kun_?" she added, motioning towards the campus.

He just shook his head in disbelief. She had drunk more than him, hadn't she? Sighing, he took his bag and sauntered through the gate after her. He could see Akira and Rui just ahead, looking about as miserable as he did. Danny had also spotted them and was rushing over, drawing another two bottles from her backpack as she did so. She certainly was prepared.

He got to the three of them about the time that they finished the remedy. He was feeling the effects of it himself; already he felt more normal, less half-dead zombie, than he had earlier. "_Ohayo_," he said, waving to them.

Akira nodded back at him, grimacing from the discomfort the motion caused. "_Ohayo_. Did you have some of this stuff too?"

Sojiro nodded, surprised that the motion didn't bother him. His head felt fine. "_Hai_. It's already working. I think Danny should market this stuff."

"A guy of many talents, isn't he?" Akira grimaced. "Man, this stuff works quick."

Guy? What was he talking about? Oh, that's right; they had agreed that they would maintain the pretense at school. Sojiro would have to remember that. He glanced at his watch; it was almost time for his first class. No calculus today; general physics. Rui and Akira would be in the chemistry labs all morning today, and Danny…"What's your first class?"

She turned to him. "Me? General physics. What do you all have?"

"I have the same," Sojiro said. This was interesting; two classes together already.

"We've got chemistry," Akira said. "Rui and I'd better get to the lab now. Meet you for lunch?"

"Yeah, sure," Danny said, looking at Sojiro. "You'll be there too, Soji-_kun_?"

He nodded, but before he could comment Rui spoke up. "Tsukushi won't be there today; she has a doctor's appointment and it was the only time she could fit it into her schedule."

"Oh darn, I was looking forward to seeing Tsuki-_chan_. Oh well, we'd better get going. I want to introduce myself to Ogata-_sensei_ before class starts," Danny said, tugging on his arm and waving goodbye to the others. "Later!"

Sojiro waved to the others and followed Danny down the walkway. He pulled her away from a wrong turn, gesturing in the right direction. "This way, Danny. You get lost really easily don't you?"

"_Hai_," she laughed. "I always got lost back home, too. _Kaasan_ used to say that I needed to tattoo a map on my arm to navigate more than a half mile from home."

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Danny may have missed the first five weeks of classes, but that didn't seem to affect her comprehension level. She seemed almost bored in the class. She'd spent most of her time with a tape recorder on her desk recording the lecture while she outlined how she'd make up the work.

And he'd spent most of the class looking at her. Which might explain the funny looks he was getting. If this kept up, his reputation was going to take a nosedive. Their lunch passed in much the same manner as the day before. The fan club had overnight become the F3 and Danny-_kun_ Club; obviously, they didn't care about how she was dressed. A pretty face was a pretty face after all, even if she looked like a reject from a rock concert.

Danny didn't pay any attention to them; instead, she was chattering on about a flier she had found for a skateboard contest that weekend. Apparently there was a one hundred thousand yen cash prize as well as a gift card for a board shop. She was waving it around and talking excitedly.

"I have to enter this; there's no way that I can pass this up! Soji-_kun_, will you help me enter?"

What could he possibly help with? "_Ano_, I don't know the first thing about…"

"Oh, don't worry about that," she laughed, shaking her head. "_Iie_, I need your help finding the competition. I really don't know my way around," she added.

He glanced at the flier. It said that the competition was open to all comers, provided they showed up before ten am. It was a little out of the way, but it would be easy to arrange a ride out there. "Alright, I'll take you there this weekend. You guys gonna come along?" he asked, turning to the rest of the group.

Akira and Rui both nodded their assent before returning to their debate about some economic issue or other. Tsukushi, who had showed up in the last five minutes before their classes started again, declined, but he'd been expecting that. She generally had to work on Saturdays. He made a mental note of their plans while returning his dishes.

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Who had decided that the party would be karaoke? Granted, the girls at school were looking for any reason to hang out with them. And naturally, they thought a welcoming party for Danny was their ticket in. And it was plain to see that Danny liked music; she rarely was without her mp3 player.

The girls had caught Danny by surprise; that was obvious. And of course, Akira had said yes. He probably felt that the night would yield some embarrassing moments he could use against Sojiro later. But why karaoke? More to the point, why had he agreed?

Sojiro hated karaoke.

Yet here he was, standing in front of "Karaoke Universe," wondering how in hell he had gotten there. He heard someone behind him and turned around. Danny was dressed the same as earlier, with the addition of a black leather bomber over her Metallica shirt and ripped jeans. Naturally, she had her skateboard under one arm, and her black newsboy cap pulled down low over her forehead.

"Is that what you wore to work today?"

She glanced down. "_Dame_! Kasa-_kun_ would've kicked my ass black and blue for that, I'm sure. _Iie_, I changed back after work was over. Going in?"

For lack of a better answer, he nodded, stepping aside so she could pass. Akira, Rui, and Tsukushi were already there, along with Tsukushi's friend Yuuki. They had semi-dated once, and were still good friends. He smiled at her before sitting between Danny and Akira. A gaggle of girls, the most prominent members of the fan club, was gathered around the karaoke machine.

Good lord, he was getting a headache already. He heaved a sigh and sat back. Akira, smirking, handed him a glass of beer; Sojiro tried not to show how relieved he really was. He took the proffered glass and drank deeply. Maybe if he got drunk enough, it wouldn't be so bad.

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Danny had never been in a karaoke bar before. She didn't think much of the girl who was singing at the moment, but then karaoke wasn't meant for good singers only.

Why had the girls insisted on this party? She didn't know these people at all. Before she could even open her mouth to say no, though, it had been decided upon and the F3 had been invited. She couldn't back out after that. The F3 were her new close friends, and if they were putting up with it for her sake, then so could she.

The karaoke wasn't her problem, really. It was that they probably didn't have any music that she knew. She'd only heard a few Japanese artists, only had albums from one group that a cousin had gotten her on vacation. But, the place was called "Karaoke Universe;" with an English name like that, they probably had lots of western songs right?

Suddenly, one of the girls was pushing a microphone into her hand. Several pairs of hands with long, sharp nails dragged her from her seat to the front of the room. Helpless, she glanced at the F3, but Rui was asleep and Sojiro was busy talking to Tsukushi and a girl she didn't know. Akira was going to be no help; he was laughing too hard at her predicament.

Flipping through the video selection she saw one she recognized. She grinned and pointed it out to the girls. This would be interesting. "I'd like to sing this one."

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Now that was an interesting expression. Akira had found her predicament laughable while she looked so confused and uncertain, but now she seemed extremely confident. She must have seen something she knew very well.

The video had started playing, clearly visible on the screens around the room. It was an American group; that must be why she knew it. But then, the bar's owner prided himself on his collection of foreign music.

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Sojiro was astounded. His conversation had stopped the instant Danny began to sing. Her performance was phenomenal. Not only did she not miss a note, it was like she knew exactly what was coming next. She wasn't even looking at the screen, instead dancing around the room like she was one of the guys in the video. She must be a huge fan, to know the music so well.

He leaned closer, trying to read the name of the band off of the screen. Maybe he'd seen one of their albums when he'd helped her unpack? He had; it was "Synthetic" by Spineshank, and she'd had a few of their albums. Two were duplicates that had even been autographed, if he remembered correctly.

The music ended and the girls all rushed Danny, full of questions.

"How did you know it so well?"

"Were they really popular where you come from?"

"O'Brien-_san_, you must teach me!"

"Do you know the band members?"

"Come on, tell us, tell us!"

Extricating herself from the mob, Danny grabbed her beer and sat down heavily next to him.

"Well, I wasn't quite expecting that response," she said, draining half the glass in one go.

"Big Spineshank fan, I take it?" At her puzzled look, he felt the urge to explain. "I saw their albums at your apartment. One was signed."

She smiled and nodded. "_Hai_. I was in a band back home; we would open for big groups that were performing locally. It was a big deal for us to open for them; they had a strong influence on our music."

Akira leaned across him. "Wait, you were in a band?"

Irritated, Sojiro elbowed him. Unconcerned, Akira elbowed him back and stayed where he was.

"_Hai_." She took another swig of beer. "In high school. We were a garage band, but we got pretty popular. We made some live appearances, recorded some CDs, even a few homemade music videos. I was surprised, though. I didn't think they'd be so excited."

Akira laughed. "Not often they get performance quality guys to karaoke with them. Your stock just went up my friend," he added, raising a glass in a mock toast.

Danny groaned. "Ugh…are they gonna ask me out on dates now?"

"Probably," Akira said, laughing at her discomfiture.

Now why did that thought irritate Sojiro? Oh yes, because these girls never got sick of using people, and now they were going to be up to their old tricks again. With Danny. And if they found out her secret, there would be a big problem.

Danny groaned again. "I think I need stronger stuff," she added, downing the rest of her glass. "Hit me, Kira-_kun_."

"O'Brien-_san_, sing for us again!"

"Yeah, Danny-_kun_!"

They dragged her off again. This time they tried to pick a Japanese song, but she overruled them and selected her own piece.

"Looks like this is turning into a Danny concert."

Sojiro glanced at Akira, then back to Danny. She was a natural performer, not nervous at all. She'd managed to charm all of the girls—no easy feat—but was obviously enjoying not the attention but the music. And she had a mischievous sense of humor, he could tell by the way she winked at him as she began to sing.

Maybe karaoke wasn't so bad.

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It was dark by the time they left. Danny, after performing a rendition of "Lonely No More" by Rob Thomas, had staunchly refused to sing anymore, and had instead spent the time drinking, playing poker, and trying to ignore the girls now swooning all over her. Her behavior during the song had only served to encourage their antics; he'd swear that there were little hearts in Minami's eyes after the third verse.

Sojiro had lost almost ten thousand yen. She was a little card shark. At least he could take consolation in the fact that Akira had lost nearly double that amount. Danny had counted her winnings and stashed them safely in her wallet. Now she pulled her coat and hat back on, dropping her board to the ground and skimming down the sidewalk. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around, gesturing to Sojiro. "You have any plans Soji-_kun_?"

"_Iie_, why do you ask?" he said, pulling on his own jacket.

She shrugged. "No reason in particular. Just thought that if you weren't busy, you'd like to hang out."

"Sure," he nodded. "I don't have anything better to do. And I'd like to hear more about this band of yours."

"Heh," she snorted. "Doesn't seem like your brand of music, but I'll tell you everything you want to know. Let's get out of this damn cold first though, I'm freezing."

"And here I thought people from the U.S. liked the cold."

"Not when they're from Southern Louisiana."


End file.
